Open Letter to the Community from Captain M.L. Jones regarding Saturday Night, May 13, 2017

Below is an excerpt from an open letter to the community written by Captain M.L. Jones, Commanding Officer of Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB), in response to community concerns following the noise disturbance caused by a rock concert on the grounds of NSAB last weekend.  It is clear that Captain Jones and NSAB understand what occurred and that they will work to improve.

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    On Saturday night, May 13th, in an attempt to enhance camaraderie and esprit de corps among our wounded, ill and injured personnel, their caregivers, and our installation’s staff, we hosted a rock concert featuring the artists Styx and Eddie Money. This event was part of the “Freedom Live – Naval District Washington” concert program and was the first time NSAB had hosted an event of this kind.

            Unfortunately, after the concert began, we learned – from multiple neighbors taking the time to call, text and email – the impact this event had on the surrounding neighborhoods.

            As Commanding Officer of NSAB, I apologize that our event created disruption or discomfort for you and your families.  I have read each and every text message and listened to every voicemail that you have sent, and I want to assure you that your voices and concerns have been heard.  We have always been committed to being good neighbors, and with this new understanding on the impact of our activities, we are dedicated to taking your concerns and our suggestions into account going forward.

Public Hearing- 2017 Park Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan

Thursday, May 25, 2017
Montgomery Regional Office (MRO)
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD

Planning Tomorrow’s Parks Today! Parks and open spaces are essential to the high quality of life for Montgomery County residents.  In an era of increasing competition for limited land and resources for a growing population, this plan will provide priorities for park acquisition, renovation, development and preservation.

The public is invited to testify in person, in support of or with recommendations for changes or additions to the 2017 Park Recreation Open Space draft plan.  Parks Staff will be in attendance to listen and answer questions about the draft plan. Copies of the Public Hearing Draft document, additional information about the project, schedule and public input is online.  An Executive Summary of the plan will be available on May 19th.

*Please visit the Montgomery Planning Board Agenda web page closer to the meeting as dates and times are subject to change.  

Sign up to testify online or call 301-495-4605. If you are unable to attend, email written testimony to MCP-Chair@mncppc-mc.org or send U.S. mail to: Planning Board Chairman, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
 
What’s Next?  After the Public Hearing, two Planning Board Work sessions scheduled for June 8 and 22, 2017. The final document is due to the State of Maryland on July 1, 2017.
 
Additional information about the program, schedules and how to contribute is available at MontgomeryParks.org. 

Art Shows by Somerset Elementary School Fifth Graders
By Councilmember Barbara Zeughauser (Trent Street)

Lynn Lewis, the art teacher at Somerset Elementary School, has been working with the fifth graders of Somerset Elementary School, on a project entitled: Mother Earth: Micro, Macro and Me, that will be on display at the Somerset Town Hall from March 31 – June 9, 2017.   The Town Hall is open Monday through Friday, from 9a.m. to 4:30p.m.  
 
The fifth graders explore different perspectives of life on Earth through mix media that connects art with environmental awareness.  Their work entails tooling metal discs for a microscopic view of plant or animal cellular structures.  In addition, they examine an interstellar view of the universe using watercolors to create their own visions, while referring to photographs from the Hubel telescope.   Finally, they superimpose a silhouette of themselves in a setting on Earth where they feel most at peace. 
 
This exhibit was created in conjunction with the Mother Earth Project, an Instagram movement, founded by Somerset resident and sculptor, Bart Rubenstein.
 
In order to accommodate all fifth graders, there will be three separate shows and three Opening Celebrations.  The first show will be from March 31 through April 25, with the Opening Celebration on Thursday, April 6, from 6-7p.m.  The second show will be from April 27-May 18, with the Opening Celebration on May 2, from 6-7p.m.  And the last show will be from May 19-June 9, with the Opening Celebration on May 23, from 6-7p.m. 
 
We hope many of you will take the time to stop by the Somerset Town Hall to see this truly extraordinary exhibit by the children of Somerset Elementary School.  And hopefully many of you will be able to attend one or all of the Opening Celebrations!

The Collection at Chevy Chase Re-Development

The Chevy Chase Land Company, owners of The Collection at Chevy Chase, formerly referred to as “Chevy Chase Center”, are working to obtain the final various approvals required for them to proceed in their redevelopment of the shopping center.  These approvals include the Village’s agreement to allow the creation of a traffic roundabout on Montgomery Street west of the Buffer. Village officials are finalizing the terms of the agreement, which will require Village Board approval.

The Land Company expects to begin construction on the Center in mid-summer 2017 and should be completed in early to mid-2018.  The project will be done in phases since the center will remain open during construction.  The first phase of the project will focus on the westernmost internal roadway including the new plaza, followed by the changes in Farr Park, the roadway reconfiguration at the entrance closest to Clyde’s restaurant and along Wisconsin Circle, and then the changes near the Western Avenue entrance. The Montgomery Street roundabout is projected to be the final phase.

For more information regarding the project, please contact Village Manager 
Shana Davis-Cook at shana.davis-cook@montgomerycountymd.gov or visit 
http://collectionchevychase.com/redevelopment/. 

Maintaining Rights-of-Ways

Spring is finally here and that means shrubs and plantings are set to bloom. Take a walk around your property…are all of the public sidewalks surrounding your property clear of low-hanging branches, overgrown bushes and vines? Is the grass in the right-of-way and tree box area mowed and maintained at less than ten inches in height? Does any shrubbery block sight lines for vehicles?

Be a considerate neighbor (and comply with the Village Code) by mowing the grass and pruning back any overgrowth that interferes with pedestrian use of the sidewalks abutting your property. Clearing these obstacles will continue to make the Village pedestrian, stroller, and bicycle friendly and safe for all.

Are You Prepared?

As we saw last season during the record Blizzard of 2016 and as gear up for the upcoming winter season, the Village reminds residents that it is important to be prepared. In order the assist residents in their preparedness, the Village in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) offer a number of helpful tools, plans and free alerts to assist and keep you informed.

Village Website and Blast Email System – Have you signed up for the Village’s blast email system? This is primary electronic method of communication with you. The Village has 2 email lists you can sign-up for:

Urgent News Alert – include messages such as criminal activity, neighborhood disruptions such as water main breaks, power outages and road closures and major weather events.

General News Alerts – include messages about Board and committee meetings, community events, changes in public services such as refuse/recycling collection schedules and upcoming road closures.

To sign-up for the blast email system visit the Village website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the tablet icon at the top of the Village’s homepage.
 

Alert Montgomery – Alert Montgomery is the office emergency communications service for Montgomery County, MD. During major crisis, emergency or severe weather events, Montgomery County officials will send event updates, warnings and instructions directly to you on any of your devices. To sign-up for Alert Montgomery please visit the OEMHS website www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs and click on the “Alert Montgomery” link at the top of the page.

Family and Community Preparedness Information – Emergencies can take many form and occur with or without warning. By taking a few simple steps now, you can ensure that you, your family and your community are better prepared to handle emergencies. To assist in your family planning please visit the Village’s emergency preparedness page, www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/emergencyprep for helpful tools and links. Another important tool the Village has to assist you in your preparedness efforts is to always request a House Check when you are out town and ensure that your emergency contacts are up to date with the Village office.

For additional information please visit the Village’s website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the “Are you prepared? – Emergency Preparedness Tips” link listed in the Quick Links on the homepage.

Emergency Contact Sheet

EMERGENCY - 911
 
Chevy Chase Village Police 
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-654-7300

Montgomery County Police 
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-279-8000

Bethesda - Chevy Chase Rescue Squad - 301-652-0077

Chevy Chase Fire Dept
(Opposite Columbia Country Club) - 240-773-4707

Bethesda Fire Dept
(Wisconsin Ave and Bradley Blvd) - 240-773-4706

National Capital Poison Center
(George Washington University Hospital) - 800-222-1222

Utilities
 

Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO)

Emergency-Live wires down, power failure - 877-737-2662

Customer Service - 202-833-7500

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Emergency - 301-206-4002

Complaints, Leaks, Information - 301-206-4001

Washington Gas

Emergency - 703-750-1400

Information & Customer Service - 703-750-1000

Comcast - 800-934-6489

Verizon - 800-837-4966

**A cut out sheet is also located on page two of the January 2017 Crier.

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